Reeds

The type of reed makes saxophone playing easier and is an prime element of a good tone. The strength and type of cane depend on the player and his or her preferences. A reed that is to hard will sound stuffy or not respond at all. On the contrary, a reed that is too thin will cause a lot of squeaking and poor tone.

A beginner saxophone player should start out on a Rico Royal 2 or 2 ½. As the player gains muscle strength, the player should move to a harder reed. However having said that having a stronger reed doesn't make you a better or worse player. I play on different strength reeds depending on what horn and style of music. I usually play between 2.5 to a 3.

A La Voz medium or medium hard would be practical for a second year player. I suggest moving to a Vandoren reed. This uses a high quality French cane. The only disadvantage to a Vandoren reed is they tend to be harder than other brands and take much longer to "break in". However they last much longer, have a good sound quality, and won’t fray. Vandorens tend to be stronger so when you begin to use them make sure you go a half of a strength lower than what you were previously using.

There are other synthetic reeds that are on the market. Plastic reeds are popular, especially for marching band season. Fibercane is another type of synthetic reed that uses a combination of reed cane and plastic. I find these reeds last a long time but have a poor sound quality. Fibercell gives you the best quality of sound of all the synthetic reed. But it's still buzzy and bright sounding.

Containers are made to keep reeds from getting cracked and maintain the moisture within the reed. There are open reed containers and closed reed containers. I suggest the Vandoren reed holders. Inside are salts to maintain the moisture of the reeds. Each slot has ridges so the reed is not on a flat surface; this way the reed doesn’t warp. The reed can also be kept in Tuperware containers with orange peels to maintain moisture. The only disadvantage is the reed will mold. This method is not widely used.

These are some tips to choosing and keeping your reeds.

Assembling the Saxophone

Ok, for those of you who just got your saxophone and are opening it for the first time, here are some tips your should really take to heart. This can really save hundreds of dollars in damage if you take precautions on how you assemble your saxophone.

To assemble the saxophone, the case should always remain on the floor. This minimizes damage to the saxophone while it is being assembled. If the case is on an unstable surface it could tip or fall. After opening the case, the first thing you should do is put the neck strap around your neck. Make sure your neckstrap has a plastic hook with a spring lock so it cannot be disconnected from the saxophone when you don't want it to. Also it's nice to have padding around the neck so the wieght of the horn doesn't make playing uncomfortable.

Next pick of the body of the saxophone by the bell. Picking up the horn any where else will run the risk of bending keys or rods. The rods have some flex to prevent damage but to mch flex will not allow no movement in the keys. By holding the bell in one hand you can stand the saxophone upright in the case.

Assemble the neck to the body by gently twisting. If the neck is difficult to assemble, gently rub the joint of the neck and the jiont on the body with a rag. If this doesn't work wipe it with brass polish making sure the polish doesn’t touch the lacquor. The polish will rub away the finish. With a greased cork gently twist on the mouthpiece. The cork on a new saxophone isn't "seasoned". When you get your horn or when you have the cork replaced it is important to grease the cork every time you alloy the mouthpiece until the mouthpiece slides on easy without the grease. I usually suggest about 5 or 6 applications. Now you can attach the saxophone to your neck strap.

In another post I'll go into detail of how to properly align a reed and ligature on the mouthpiece.